On the afternoon of December 18, 2025, National Economics University (NEU) held the closing ceremony for Cohort 7 of the Global Executive Management Program, jointly organized by the Institute for Sustainable Development and the Continuing Education Center at NEU.

Overview of the closing ceremony

External guests attending the ceremony included Won Ji Young, Deputy Country Director of the KOICA Vietnam Office; Kang Shino, Program Manager; Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, Program Manager, representing the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in Vietnam; and business leaders and members of the Korean community in Hanoi.

Representing NEU were Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU; Dr. Dao Thanh Tung, Head of the Department of International Cooperation; Dr. Can Anh Tuan, Director of the Continuing Education Center; and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bach Ngoc Thang, Deputy Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development. Representing the management team of the Global Executive Management Program (Global CEO Academy) was Dr. Park Haeja, Program Director. Also attending were all lecturers, advisors, alumni, and Cohort 7 learners of Global CEO Academy.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU, speaks at the ceremony

Speaking at the event, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU, congratulated the 35 learners who had completed the course with distinction, including 16 Korean learners who are business directors and investors operating in Vietnam, and 19 Vietnamese learners. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu also congratulated Dr. Park Haeja and her colleagues at the Institute for Sustainable Development and the Continuing Education Center on successfully organizing the course, and welcomed 35 new members to the CEO Alumni network.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Vice President of NEU highlighted the extensive efforts behind the program’s establishment and development, from its early days under Prof. Kim Kwang Soo and his colleagues at the Asia-Pacific Institute of Management (now the Institute for Sustainable Development) to its expansion with support from experts dispatched by KOICA, which helped bring the program closer to the Korean business community in Vietnam. Although interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, the program resumed in 2025 and has continued to affirm its value and reputation in training and connecting entrepreneurs.

Prof. Nguyen Thanh Hieu also acknowledged and expressed deep appreciation for the sustained support of the KOICA Vietnam Office, the Korean community in Vietnam, and the alumni network, whose important contributions have helped build, promote, and elevate the program over the years.

Won Ji Young, Deputy Country Director of the KOICA Vietnam Office, speaks at the ceremony

Speaking at the event, Won Ji Young, Deputy Country Director of the KOICA Vietnam Office, affirmed that KOICA has been one of the active and consistent supporters of the Global Executive Management Program. She praised the quality of its training and the results and milestones it has achieved over time.

Congratulating the learners on completing the seventh course, Won Ji Young expressed her hope that they would continue to apply the knowledge and skills they had acquired, while effectively using opportunities for interaction, networking, and information exchange to establish and expand business cooperation networks between Vietnam and South Korea in the coming period.

Dr. Park Haeja, Director of the Global CEO Academy Program, delivers closing remarks at the ceremony

Speaking at the event, Dr. Park Haeja, Director of the “Global Executive Management – Global CEO Academy” Program, emphasized that, amid deepening economic integration and a rapidly changing international business environment with many unpredictable factors, businesses must continually strive and innovate to achieve sustainable development goals.

Against the backdrop of changes in the global economy and the realities of Vietnam’s economy, Dr. Park Haeja expressed pride in the course’s success in providing learners—business leaders and experts across various fields—with up-to-date information, management knowledge and skills, innovative technologies, and creative insights, helping strengthen their executive capabilities in the new context.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha speaks on behalf of the graduating learners

Lee Dong Hyeon, representative of the graduating learners, speaks at the ceremony

Jung Won Taec, President of the Alumni Association of the “Global Executive Management – Global CEO Academy” Program

The 35 learners of Cohort 7 pose for a commemorative photo at the presentation of graduation certificates and certificates of merit

Since 2013, the CEO Global Academy Program has successfully held seven global executive management courses. Its learners are Korean leaders, business directors, and investors in Vietnam. The program also includes Vietnamese learners who are investment and business partners, as well as other individuals who share an interest in economic relations and cultural exchange between Vietnam and South Korea.

To date, more than 180 learners have graduated from the program, helping form an extensive alumni network. Lecturers for Cohort 7 included leaders from the public sector, businesses, and universities in both Vietnam and South Korea. Notable among them were the President of Samsung Vietnam, a former Minister of SMEs and Startups of South Korea; Phan Duc Hieu, member of the National Assembly’s Economic and Financial Committee; Nguyen Anh Tuan, Deputy Director General of the Foreign Investment Agency; Prof. Dr. Tran Tho Dat, former President of NEU; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Thi Hoang Anh, Vice President of the Banking Academy; Dr. Vo Tri Thanh, member of the National Financial and Monetary Policy Advisory Council; and representatives of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam.

Additional photos from the ceremony:

Article and photos: Institute for Sustainable Development

This is an automated translation. If you notice any errors, please contact the Department of Communications, National Economics University at phongtruyenthong@neu.edu.vn.